


Moving Forward

by majingojira



Category: Batgirl (Comics), Batman (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-28
Updated: 2014-09-28
Packaged: 2018-02-19 03:11:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2372408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/majingojira/pseuds/majingojira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tim helps Cassandra prepare for a final confrontation against Cricket.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Moving Forward

Tim watched himself get punched in the face. Rewound it, then watched it again. He changed speeds and played it again. Filtered the sounds and played it again. He played it again and again with dozens of variations. He considered for a moment whether or not he was a masochist for doing that when he felt Cassandra turn away from the massive screen of the Bat computer from her perch over his shoulder.  
  
He turned to Cass, "You alright?"  
  
She nodded, "Don't like watching."  
  
"You--" Cassandra chose her words as best she could. Short, abrupt and to the point. But Tim’s mind read into those three words and what meaning they could hold. His heart fluttered at some of them. After all they'd been through, his brain began to create a few scenarios that were very distracting, until Cass interrupted him.  
  
"My form.  It's bad.  Very bad.  Didn't realize it.  My movements were," She searched for the right word in her head, "Greenhorn."  
  
It was an odd word to use, amateurish or inexperienced would be much better for this situation, but he didn't hold it against her. Cass was still struggling with English, it’s why her word choice was so deliberate. Throw in having to learn some efficiency phrases in Mandarin and Cantonese thanks to her position as Hong Kong's Batman Inc. representative just made it even harder.  
  
"I noticed it too," Tim said, "I'm trying to determine what was throwing us both off, and I think I got it."  
  
Cass told him of her renewed hope without a word. Raised shoulders, an inhaled breath, and wider eyes were her way of telling him, as was her return to his side.  
  
"The chirping noise, I think it's a device of some kind. The sound is what’s throwing us off. I'm trying to pinpoint the exact--"  
  
He felt her fingers jab lightly against his left side, just below his ribs, he reflexively twisted towards her and let out a defensive cry which was in no way as manly as he wished it was.  
  
"It's there," she declared.  
  
He rubbed his side at the jab, then asked "You sure?"  
  
A raised eyebrow was all he got as an answer. Again, more than enough of an answer.  
  
"Right, sorry,” He turned back to the computer and brought up a new program, “Now, I just got to find a way to filter it."  
  
Cassandra's head cocked to the side in a way that reminded Tim of a bird.  
  
"If I can match the wavelengths of the sound, I can negate it completely. Taking away Cricket's edge."

"Good. Do it." Cass's voice was hard and the words came out quickly. She glanced at the table with Cricket's challenge on it, her fists tightened into the hammers of justice Tim was used to seeing, "I want to be ready."  
  
*  
  
"Are you sure you can do this?"  
  
Cass didn't answer.  
  
"I know he was throwing off our game with that noise, but he's still really . . . frighteningly good."  
  
She didn't answer still.  
  
"Is this a pride thing? Tell me this isn't a pride thing, Cass."  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"It's not worth it. Risking your life because of some weird Honor thing, that's not you, that's--that's more like your mother. More like Shiva."  
  
Tim felt her gloved hand grasp around his throat before he even knew she had moved. "Not  pride in _that_." Her words were a harsh hiss. She thumped her free hand on her chest. "Pride in this."  
  
Tim couldn't look her in the eye as her hand let go of is throat and moved up his face, "Cass, I'm sorry--"  
  
His words were cut off by her lips pressing against his.  
  
"In case I fail." Her words were a whispered breath, "Wanted you to know." Tim was at a loss for words, allowing her to press her forehead against his. "But I plan to win."  
  
*  
  
He was a rooftop away and watching them fight. It was a beautiful, brutal dance that had that ended once Cassandra got past his defenses and landed a solid blow that left his nose broken and face bloodied. Cricket, for all his fighting prowess never really learned to take a punch. Not like she had.  
  
She cuffed his unconscious body, crushed the "Chirping" device and she let out a heavy sigh.  It was over.  
  
Tim rushed to her side and caught her as the elation of victory overtook her. Her smile was bigger and brighter than anything Tim had seen--other than Stephanie Brown or Bart Allen. She pulled him into a tight embrace, picking him up and spinning around while filling the air with loud giggles that Tim found completely infectious.  
  
When she put him down, he looked over to Cricket's unconscious form.  
  
"You broke his arm."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Why did you break his arm?"  
  
"He broke your arm."  
  
Tim's face twisted a bit at this odd sign of affection, but a smile beat through it.

He walked over to Cricket’s body and picked him up, "I should probably get you flowers as a thank you, I guess."  
  
Cass shook her head, "Chocolate's better."

"Chocolates it is."


End file.
